In manufacturing dry formed sanitary products, an absorbent composite is formed by means of the dry forming technique from natural fibres, to which is added a binding material or binding fibres, which bind the formed material web into a porous material layer by the action of heat. The absorbent composite may consist of several superimposed layers according to desired thickness. Superabsorbent material is often added locally to the absorbent composite to improve absorption capacity. Such absorbent composites are disclosed for instance in WO publications 93/06804 and 94/10957.
Material composites manufactured in this manner are used for manufacturing different diapers, incontinence products and sanitary towels. Recently, the size of such products has been reduced in order that they would be as inconspicuous as possible, and as, on the other hand, the object has been to achieve as good an absorption capacity as possible, attempts have been made to solve the problem by increasing the amount of the superabsorbent material. Such products have typically consisted of two material layers, a liquid wicking layer and a liquid absorbing layer. Both layers usually consist of natural fibres or a mixture of natural fibres and binding fibres. In addition, superabsorbent material is usually added to a layer which faces away from the user. A great disadvantage of such products is the fact that the layer which faces the user remains damp, as a result of which a relatively thick liquid-repellent cover stock must be added to the final product in order that the product would feel dry against the skin of the user.
Another disadvantage of such products is the fact that liquid is absorbed rather slowly through the structure due to the porous fibre-like structure, as a result of which only a part of the absorption capacity of a sanitary product is utilized effectively in practice.